Name Roy G Biv

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1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

1. The timeline below represents time on Earth from the beginning of the Paleozoic Era Ato thepresent B.

Which numbered position best represents the time when humans first appeared in the fossilrecord?

1 nuclear 2 solar3 coal 4 natural gas

2. Which of the sources of energy listed below ismost nearly pollution free?

1 human activities 2 industrial plants3 natural processes 4 automobile traffic

3. Which is the least probable source ofatmospheric pollution in heavily populated cities?

1 2

3 4

4. Which graph best illustrates the relationshipbetween lake water pollution and humanpopulation density near the lake?

1 less than 1.0% 2 1.8%3 23.5% 4 more than 98.6%

5. What percentage of Earth's history representshuman existence?

1 0.7 2 3.9 3 9.1 4 13.7

6. Base your answers to questions 26 and 27 on thediagram below, which shows specific events inthe history of Earth from the beginning of theuniverse to the present.

Approximately how many billion years after thebeginning of the universe did a solid crust formon Earth?

1 23 4

7. Radioactive decay of atoms in an igneousrock has resulted in a ratio of 25 percent atoms to 75 percent. and atoms.How many years old is this rock?

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1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D

8. The diagrams below represent four series ofevents over the passage of time.

Which series of events took the least amount oftime to complete?

1 15% 2 12.5%3 6.25% 4 3.125%

9. The table below shows the radioactive decay ofcarbon-14. Part ofthe table has been left blank.

After 22,800 years, approximately whatpercentage of the original carbon-14 remains?

1 rubidium-87 2 uranium-2383 potassium-40 4 carbon-14

10. Which radioactive element is used to determinethe absolute age of late Pleistocene animalremains?

1 50 grams 2 100 grams3 200 grams 4 400 grams

11. How much of an 800-gram sample ofpotassium-40 will remain after 3.9 × 109 yearsof radioactive decay?

1 2

3 4

12. The diagram below represents a sample ofrubidium-87 (87Rb).

Which diagram represents the correctproportion of 87Rb to its decay product, 87Sr,after two half-lives?

1 metamorphism 2 evolution3 radioactive decay 4 mass extinctions

13. Examination of the fossil record shows ageneral tendency of organisms to becomeincreasingly more complex through geologictime. This finding supports the theory thatliving things have undergone

1 carbon dioxide 2 nitrogen3 oxygen 4 water vapor

14. Which gas is inferred to have been absent fromEarth's atmosphere during the Early ArcheanEra?

1 oxygen 2 nitrogen3 helium 4 hydrogen

15. Which gas became part of Earth's atmospheremainly as a result of the evolution of life-forms?

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1 studying the life spans of present-dayanimals

2 radioactive dating of metamorphic rock3 correlating widespread igneous ash deposits4 examining fossils preserved in the rock

record

16. Much of the evidence for the evolution oflifeforms on Earth has been obtained by

1 addition of free oxygen to Earth’satmosphere

2 formation of clastic sedimentary rocks3 movement of tectonic plates4 filling of the oceans by precipitation

17. Which event in Earth’s history was dependenton the development of a certain type oflife-form?

1 fish amphibians mammals soft-bodied organisms

2 fish soft-bodied organisms mammals amphibians

3 soft-bodied organisms amphibians fish mammals

4 soft-bodied organisms fish amphibians mammals

18. According to the fossil record, which sequencecorrectly represents the evolution of life onEarth?

1 meteor showers2 melting of glacial ice3 volcanic eruptions4 evaporation of seawater

19. The gases in Earth's early atmosphere areinferred to have come primarily from

1 determine Earth's absolute age2 predict global warming3 locate an earthquake epicenter4 correlate widely separated rock formations

20. A volcanic ash layer between sedimentary rocklayers is used by geologists to

1 Rock name Fossil name Time period

__________ ___________ _____________

__________ ___________ _____________

__________ ___________ _____________

__________ ___________ _____________

__________ ___________ _____________

__________ ___________ _____________

21. Write the order of events including time periodsfor the 3 outcrops below. List the events fromoldest to youngest in a vertical column.

1 Alleghenian orogeny2 Acadian orogeny3 Taconian orogeny4 Grenville orogen

22. Valcouroceras is a New York State index fossil.Which mountain-building event occurred inNew York State during the time when Valcouroceras was living in oceans coveringparts of New York State?

1 Champlain Lowlands2 Erie-Ontario Lowlands3 Hudson-Mohawk Lowlands4 Atlantic Coastal Lowlands

23. Which New York landscape region is composedprimarily of Cretaceous through Pleistoceneunconsolidated sediments?

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Base your answers to questions 24 through 26 on the cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section representsrock units that have not been overturned. Lines CC' and GG ' represent unconformities. Thegeologic ages of some of the lettered rock units are shown below the cross section.

1 They contain mostly sand-sized sediment.2 They contain both land and marine fossils.3 They were altered by contact metamorphism.4 They were deposited as horizontal layers and were later tilted.

24. Which inference about rock units D, E, and H can best be supported by evidence in the crosssection?

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1 rock unit I 2 rock unit J 3 rock unit K 4 rock unit M

25. The diagrams below represent three index fossils found in one of the rock units.

These fossils are most likely found in

1 Conglomerate does not metamorphose.2 The intrusion was not hot enough to metamorphose rock unit F.3 The contact metamorphism within rock unit F eroded away.4 Rock unit F was deposited after the intrusion of rock unit L.

26. Why is there no contact metamorphism indicated between rock unit L and rock unit F?

1 sandstone in outcrop 1 2 breccia in outcrop 23 conglomerate in outcrop 3 4 sandstone in outcrop 4

27. Four rock outcrops, labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4, found within the same plateau, are representedbelow. Index fossils found in some of the rock layers are shown. The rock layers have not been overturned.

Which rock layer is the youngest?

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1 shale layer in outcrop I 2 siltstone layer in outcrop II3 limestone layer in outcrop III 4 conglomerate layer in outcrop III

28. The cross sections below represent three outcrops, labeled I, II, and III, containing some NewYork State index fossils. The rock layers have not been overturned.

When the rock layers in the three outcrops are correlated, the oldest layer is the

29. Base your answer to the following question onyour knowledge of Earth science, the EarthScience Reference Tables, and the diagrambelow showing a cross-sectional view of anoutcrop found in New York State today in whichoverturning has not occurred.

1 Cambrian 2 Devonian3 Permian 4 Jurassic

If rock layer C was deposited in New York Stateduring the Devonian Period, then rock layer B could only have been deposited during whichperiod? [ Use the Earth Science ReferenceTables . ]

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Base your answers to questions 30 through 33 on the geologic cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross sectionrepresents rock and sediment layers, labeled A through F. Each layer contains fossil remains,which formed in different depositional environments. Some layers contain index fossils. Thelayers have not been overturned.

1 birds and trilobites 2 dinosaurs and mastodonts3 ammonoids and grasses 4 humans and vascular plants

30. Which pair of organisms existed when the unconsolidated sediment in layer A wasdeposited?

1 E 2 B 3 C 4 F

31. Which rock layer formed mainly from the compaction of plant remains?

1 Late Devonian 2 Middle Devonian3 Early Devonian 4 Late Silurian

32. During which geologic epoch was layer F deposited?

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1 was consistently marine2 was consistently terrestrial (land)3 changed from marine to terrestrial (land)4 changed from terrestrial (land) to marine

33. The depositional environment dming the time these layers and fossils were deposited

1 B A C D 2 B D C A3 D C A B 4 D B A C

34. The bedrock cross section below contains rockformations A, B, C, and D. The rock formationshave not been overturned.

Which sequence represents the relative ages ofthese rock formations, from oldest to youngest?

1 A fault exists between outcrops A and B.2 Erosion created an unconformity between

rock layers 2 and 4 in outcrop B.3 A volcanic eruption destroyed rock layer 3

in outcrop B.4 Metamorphism of outcrop A created rock

layer 3.

35. Bedrock outcrops A and B are located at twodifferent locations along the Mississippi River.Rock layers 1, 2, and 4 are the same in bothoutcrops.

Which statement best explains why rock layer 3is missing from outcrop B?

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36. Base your answer to the following question on the geologic cross section below in whichoverturning has not occurred. Letters A through H represent rock layers.

1 folding ® uplift ® erosion ® deposition2 intrusion ® erosion ® folding ® uplift3 erosion ® folding ® deposition ® intrusion4 deposition ® uplift ® erosion ® folding

Which sequence of events most likely caused the unconformity shown at the bottom of rocklayer B?

1 an area of contact metamorphism2 a time gap in the rock record of the area3 proof that no deposition occurred between

the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods4 overturning of the Cambrian and

Carboniferous rock layers

37. The diagram below shows a cross-sectionalview of part of the Earth's crust.

What does the unconformity (buried erosionalsurface) at line XY represent?

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38. Base your answer to the following question on the photograph below, which shows a bedrockoutcrop. Line AB is an unconformity between sandstone C and metamorphic rock D.

1 Cambrian 2 Ordovician 3 Silurian 4 Triassic

The lower layers of sediment found in sandstone C were deposited 520 million years ago.During which period of geologic time did this deposition occur?

Base your answers to questions 39 through 41 on the cross section below which shows aportion of Earth’s crust. The age, in millions of years, of each boundary between the differentsedimentary rock layers is shown. The age of boundary X between the sedimentary rock andthe metamorphic rock is not shown. Assume no overturning has occurred.

39. Identify the geologic feature represented by boundary X.

40. Describe how the rock type below boundary X was formed.

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41. Identify by name one index fossil that existed when the limestone rock shown in the crosssection was being formed.

Base your answers to questions 42 through 44 on the cross sections below, which showwidely separated outcrops labeled I, II, and III. Index fossils are found in some of the rocklayers in the three outcrops. In outcrop III, layers A, B, C, and D are labeled. Line XY represents an unconformity. Line GH represents a fault.

42. Describe one characteristic necessary for a fossil to be classified as an index fossil.

43. On outcrop II below, place the symbol ~~ for an unconformity between the two rock layerswhere the Silurian-age bedrock has been removed by erosion.

44. List in order, from oldest to youngest, the relative age of the four rock layers, A, B, C, and D, fault GH, and unconformity XY shown in outcrop III.

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Base your answers to questions 45 through 47 on the table of index fossils shown below andon your knowledge of Earth science.

45. During what geologic time period did the oldest index fossil shown in this table exist?

46. State one characteristic of a good index fossil.

47. Complete the classification table above by filling in the general fossil group name for each index fossil.

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Base your answers to questions 48 through 50 on the cross section below, which showslimestone bedrock with caves.

48. Identify one source of pollution caused by human activity that contributes to the precipitationbecoming more acidic.

49. The precipitation in this area is becoming more acidic. Explain why acid rain weatherslimestone bedrock.

50. In the empty box on the left side of the cross section above, draw a horizontal line to indicatethe level of the water table.

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Base your answers to questions 51 and 52 on the diagrams below, which represent twobedrock outcrops, I and II, found several kilometers apart in New York State. Rock layers arelettered A through F. Drawings represent specific index fossils.

51. Correlate the layers.

52. Write the sequence of events, including geologic period from oldest to youngest.

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Base your answers to questions 53 through 56 on the passage and chart below, and on yourknowledge of Earth science. The chart identifies some human species and the times whenthey are believed to have existed.

Human SpeciesModern humans, Homo sapiens, appear to have evolved through several species of earliermembers of the genus Homo. Each of these human species possessed specific features thatmade that species distinct. Many lived in (or at least have been discovered in) specificgeographic areas, and existed for specific time ranges shown in the chart. In many cases,fossil remains are partial, often consisting of only teeth and skulls. Interpretation ofhuman evolution continues to change with new discoveries.

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53. Complete the graph by drawing a bar to represent the time span that each human speciesexisted. The bars for the first four species listed have already been drawn.

54. Which human species shown in the chart was the first to exist?

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55. One species of the genus Homo could have evolved directly from another species of thegenus Homo only if the other species:

• existed before the new species appeared• did not become extinct before the new species appeared

Identify two species of the genus Homo from which Homo neanderthalensis may havedirectly evolved.

56. During which geologic epoch did the Homo mauritanicus species exist?

Base your answers to questions 57 through 60 on the cross sections below and on yourknowledge of Earth science. The cross sections represent three bedrock outcrops, 1, 2, and 3,found several kilometers apart. The geologic time period when each sedimentary rock layerformed is shown. The symbols (star, circle, cross, square, and triangle) represent fossils ofdifferent types of organisms present in the rock layers.

57. Draw the fossil symbol that represents the best index fossil. Describe one piece of evidenceshown in the outcrops that indicates that this fossil has characteristics of a good index fossil.

58. Write the outcrop number of the cross section that could he found in New York State.Describe the evidence that supports your answer.

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59. Explain why the geologic age of these rock layers could not be accurately dated usingcarbon-14.

60. Explain why the index fossil Coelophysis is not preserved in any of the rock outcrops.

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61. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and diagram below and on yourknowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents some of the Burgess shale community oforganisms that existed together during part of the Cambrian Period. Thirteen different typesof organisms are numbered in the diagram.

Burgess Shale Fossils

The Burgess shale fossil discovery revealed unique Cambrian life-forms, most ofwhich were not present in the previously known fossil record. Normally, soft body partsof dead organisms are destroyed by scavengers and bacteria on the ocean floor. However,in the deep-water depositional environment of the Burgess shale, oxygen was lacking andorganisms were buried rapidly, preserving the unique community seen in the diagram.The soft-bodied organisms had previously been unknown. The Burgess shale fossils wereoriginally found in a layer of bedrock in southwestern Canada.

During which epoch of the Cambrian Period were the Burgess shale organisms and sedimentsdeposited?

Answer Keygeo hist quest

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1. 42. 23. 34. 35. 16. 37. 38. 39. 310. 411. 212. 213. 214. 315. 116. 417. 118. 419. 320. 421. 122. 323. 424. 425. 326. 427. 328. 229. 230. 431. 332. 233. 334. 3

35. 236. 137. 238. 139. Examples:

unconformity;nonconformity;time gap in therock record;buried erosionalsurface

40. Examples: heatand pressure;recrystallizing ofpreexisting rock;metamorphism

41. Examples:Hexameroceras;Eucalyptocrinus;Eurypterus;Cooksonia;Cystiphyllum;Eospirifer

42. – wide geographicdistribution– existed for ashort period ofgeological time

43.

44.45. Silurian Period

46. Examples: –existed for a shortgeologic time –widespreadgeographically

47.

48. Examples: –burning fossilfuels – exhaustemission fromautomobiles

49. – The acid raindissolves thelimestone.

50.

51. see key52. see key53.

54. Homo habilis or habilis or H.habilis

55. — Homorhodesiensis —Homoheidelbergensis —Homo erectus

56. Pleistocene Epoch

57. –The fossil wasfound only in theDevonianlayer/one layer ineach outcrop.–The fossil wasgeographicallywidespread. –Thefossil indicates ashort existence ingeologictime/limited timeinterval.

58. –The rock layersof the same age asthose shown inoutcrop 2 are allfound in NewYork State.–Permian Periodrock is not presentin New YorkState, but is shownin outcrops 1 and3.

59. –Carbon-14 has ashort half-life.–These rock layersare too old tocontainmeasurablecarbon-14.–Carbon-14 isused to date recentremains. –Noorganic materialremains in therock.

Answer Keygeo hist quest

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60. –The bedrock inthe outcropsformed during thePaleozoic Era, andCoelophysis livedduring theMesozoic Era.–The youngestrock layer is fromthe Permian, and Coelophysis didnot exist yet. –Coelophysis livedat a much latertime. –No Triassicbedrock is shown.–Layerscontaining Coelophysis havebeen removed byerosion.

61. Middle CambrianEpoch